Life with a Twist
by Fearless Katniss Everdeen
Summary: Two seemingly normal teenagers, Samantha and Prim, are close as sisters, but when they join the Gokaigers, life changes for both of them. How will it affect them? Rated T for language and mention of self-harm.
1. Prologue

Author Note: Hey! This is my first story, brought about by roleplaying with Poof. Remember, I love reviews and ways that I can make my writing even better. Also, three reviews earn you a new chapter! Sorry if this chapter's really short.

Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

My whole life completely changed when I met _them_.

Okay, first, let me talk a little about me. I'm Samantha Austin, a seventeen-year-old who never really fit in anywhere in life. I've had my list of nicknames at school, including "Geek," "Nerd," "Teacher's Pet," and "Miss Attitude." Unless someone really want their dental work rearranged, they call me Samantha or Sam.

I'm around five foot six with dark eyes and even darker hair. My hair was always loose and shadowed my face when I looked down, which was about ninety-five percent of the time. I usually wear jeans with a T-shirt under a denim jacket. Scars on my face and arms showed that I got into fights that involved sharp objects sometimes. I usually keep to myself.

I've also got an eighteen-year-old best friend, who is practically my sister. She has long blonde hair that goes down to her thighs as well as blue eyes. Green highlights are in her hair as well, and her blonde bangs are usually hanging in front of her eyes, a sparkly pink headband usually keeping them in place. She is prone to skirts and blouses as well as close-toed black shoes, but don't let appearances fool you.

She's a feisty one. Very.

She cusses like a sailor, and she's got a very hot temper when you cross her mean side. She is very protective of me, and she's not afraid to tell you exactly how she feels. Her name's Primrose Strike, but call her Prim if you value your life.

That's all the past. This is about how I got to where I am today.

I could start anywhere in my life, but I think I'll start with how a trip to the candy store turned ugly.


	2. First Move's Yours

Author Note: *Raises hands in surrender.* Put the pitchforks down. We can talk about this calmly...

OK, I kinda went on hiatus this summer due to a busy schedule. Now that things have calmed down a bit, I'll try to update more often. WAY more often!

Now that that's out of the way...ENJOY!

* * *

"Hurry up, Samie!" Prim called over her shoulder as we sprinted down the street. "Human speed isn't fast enough!" Even though I was a couple of inches taller than her and had longer legs, she had the endurance for long runs that I could only dream of.

I rolled my eyes in response and said, "Yeah, yeah. Why don't YOU slow down?" I was struggling to keep up by that point. I had no idea how she could run so fast on the sidewalk since I was more of a cross-country runner.

"Because I do not slow down," my older sister figure sighed. I then found myself being pulled along by my wrist.

"OI! Watch it!" I immediately started protesting. She, naturally, ignored me and continued to tow me along until we reached our destination: the candy store.

"Candy..." Prim pressed her face against the window eagerly. I, in the meantime, was trying to regain feeling in my wrist. "That sounds good," I agreed, slightly out of breath from our run.

"CANDY!" She tried to run inside through the door but bounced back. At first, I thought that she'd tried to enter through the wall instead of going through the door like a sane person.

That's when it dawned on me what my best friend ran into.

"Oi! Watch it!" She glared at the person she ran into, making me a little nervous. She only got that look in her eyes when she was ready to start a fight. I backed away slowly, slightly intimidated by this new person.

She wasn't amused...at all. "Move," she said, trying to push him out of the way, but he didn't budge. The person just smirked and pushed her out of the way easily. "YOU watch it, pipsqueak."

Prim stumbled a little, and I helped her regain her balance. "Are you OK?" I asked. My hand was in my pocket, clutching my Ranger Key. _At least I came prepared_, I thought to myself.

It didn't have to come to that, though. He just walked off.

Prim glared off in his direction, hand in her pocket as well. I knew she had a grip on her key as well. "Let's just go, neesan," I suggested, not wanting to see a temper flare. That was never fun for anyone in the general vicinity.

"Hm, I'm getting my candy." She strolled in like nothing was out of the ordinary. I shook my head slightly and followed her. Honestly, I couldn't stop thinking about what we just about did. Man, our lives were interesting.

"I can't believe we almost did that," I said quietly. "He didn't look like a person to mess with." I flashed back to my first ever fight.

"Yeah..." I could tell she remembered it, too. "Well, you know me. I always finish stuff."

I couldn't help but smile a little. "Yes, you do," I agreed. "You know I'm stepping in if he hurts you though, right?" Even though I was the younger one, it didn't stop me from being a little protective of her.

"Yeah, yeah." As we walked toward her house after checking out, she handed me a piece of chocolate and caramel candy, saying, "Now savor the caramel."

I rolled my eyes at her playfully and ate some. We got to her house without any confrontations, which was a bit of a miracle. Usually we would've had at least one skirmish with the Zangyack by now. We took this time to help ourselves to chocolate and wrestle a little. Half an hour or so later, I asked, "Shouldn't we work on sword fighting soon? We need to be ready if the Zangyack decide to drop by."

She nodded. "That would bite. You're the one who needs improvement with a sword."

"I'm working on it!" I said defensively, getting my training equipment. Swords were NOT my strength, and she knew that. Accuracy was more my speed.

"Well, I'm working on the gun, too," Prim said with a bit of a chuckle, getting her equipment. She was about as bad at guns as I was at swords, which was pretty horrible. On the other hand, she was a two-sword fighter.

We make the short jog to our training area, which was a clearing I'd found in woods once. It was quiet and secluded from the rest of society. Just perfect for us.

I rolled my eyes a little and tried to relax as we got into stance to work on our swordsmanship. I felt uncomfortable with a sword. I tried not to show it, but the memories it brought back...they weren't pleasant. I was trying hard to overcome it, though.

As always, she said, "First move's yours," while keeping a firm grip on her sword.

I took a deep breath and went in swinging. I tried to keep the injuries minor so it wouldn't haunt me for the rest of my life. She went a little easy on me, blocking about half of my shots and taking the rest to her back (her strongest muscle).

She ducked around one wild swing, knocking me off balance with her foot and using that time to disarm me. I looked for a way to retrieve it without being skewered, but Prim held me back by swordpoint. "Looks like I DO need improvement," I muttered under my breath.

"I heard that," my older sister figure stated. "You do. But keep on trying. It took me forever to master a one sword fighting style. You'll get it!"

I commented, "Thank goodness for guns." Although I was most comfortable with guns, I could tell that they were awkward for Prim. She was more keen on running in and chopping off heads. She didn't like hoping for a good shot from a distance. I, on the other hand, could handle two guns; it came naturally to me. "You know I like a safer distance from the enemy."

My first fight with a sword...it didn't end well.

"Well, I don't." She snorted slightly, taking her gun out. I did the same and nail a bull's eye from around 50 feet away. Prim muttered to herself, "Show off," and tried to imitate my shot.

Let's just say I had to dodge her bullet. She blushed slightly from pure embarassment.

I encouraged her anyway. "You'll get it! I used to suck at aim. Just start out closer to the target."

She stuck out her tongue and tried again. Epic fail. "I suck at guns." She threw it on the ground and tried to step on it in frustration, but I picked it up quickly.

"It takes practice just like anything else. Just be patient with it," I advised.

"I don't have this 'patience' you speak of," she sighed. "The gun's my blind side. I may never fully master it...but...that's why I have you." She smileed at me.

"Same here." I smiled back.

Prim then took her sword and my own in her grasp with a sly grin. "What do you say for a little one-on-one? Sword versus gun."

I took both of our guns, ready to try it out. "As long as we don't kill each other," I said, though.

"Well, that's always nice." She got into stance, saying as always, "First move's yours."


	3. Keeping a Hidden Identity Secret

Author Note: Thank you to all who reviewed! If there's anything I need to work on, please don't be afraid to point it out. I'll gladly fix it. And I am so sorry that it took so long to update! School started, and I got sidetracked, and a lot of other stuff happened.

Now, enjoy!

* * *

I stood for a second or two, looking Prim in the eye. I was counting down in my head, _Three, two, one, NOW!_ I quickly brought up my right gun and pulled the trigger. As I expected, she deflected the bullet.

She came in quickly and tried to knock my left gun free, barely giving me time to move my hand. In response, I kicked her left sword free. It landed in the dirt. Prim then kicked my left gun out of my reach, her sword coming down. I dodged and tried to kick her legs out from under her.

My sister figure's agility came in handy right then. She stood back up quicker than I could move and swung at me. I blocked the blade with my gun as she tried to outpower me. My arms immediately tensed up and resisted it, trying to push harder than her. Neither of us were going to give up.

Our eyes locked, both showing exhaustion. We silently called it a draw, and I struggled to stand up. Prim was breathing hard as she put up the swords. "Okay...let's never...do that again," she managed.

I nodded in agreement. The adrenaline we'd gotten from the practice was gone, but we still needed to get back to her house. Prim and I had to support each other back and collapsed on the couch, trying to catch our breath.

I wiped the sweat off my face. "I have to say, Prim, that you're a much tougher opponent than those metalheads."

She looked over and smiled a little. "Well, you're definitely a lot more skilled than them. Albert Einstein would admire you."

I laughed and leaned back, saying, "Let's rest for the time being. I don't know about you, but I don't really want to be entertainment for the Zangyack." Prim stretched out and headed for the kitchen, probably looking for a snack.

I was so tired that I doze off soon after she left the room.

I only woke up when the alarm started going crazy.

* * *

My head shot up as soon as I heard the alarm going off. I looked in my partner's direction as I stood up since she was raiding the kitchen. I wasn't at all surprised. Prim met my gaze and nodded.

We ran out the back door at full speed, reaching the source of the trouble: our training area. I was very confused at this. Since when did they start attacking in this area? I looked to my sister figure and asked, "Why here of all places do you figure?"

She answered simply, "Because we're the lone Gokaigers."

We flipped open our Mobirates and say, "Gokai Change!" and inserted our Ranger Keys. It changed me into Gokai Orange and her into Gokai Gold. Almost immediately, we traded weapons, her gun for my sword.

"Let's make this showy!" she announced, running in to cut them down. I stood at a little of a distance and shot down at least a dozen Gourmin.

Prim defeated the other dozen or so. "Easy."

"And that is the understatement of the century," I replied, turning behind me to make sure there weren't any more waiting to ambush us. She shrugged like it was no big deal. Wait a minute, it wasn't.

We started back to her house. "Now, I have decided something," Prim decided. She got a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"What?" I asked, naturally curious.

What she said next would change my life.

"We need boyfriends." She smirked when I groaned a little. I protested, "I'm fine being single." I already had to fight the Zangyack on a daily basis while keeping it a secret from an overprotective mother and little brother as well as the rest of society. Keeping up a love life on top of that wasn't something I needed to stress over. Especially since...

I tried to keep my memory from straying to _that_ night.

She did the Primrose-like thing to do: ignored that comment. Putting her hair in a low ponytail, she claimed, "I'm gonna to teach you how to do boy fishing. Either way, you will observe me."

I, in return, rolled my eyes. She was going to win the argument anyway. "Fine," I gave in reluctantly.

"Yay!" Prim led the way to a local park, keeping an eye out for a possible lover. It wasn't long before she elbowed me in the arm.

"Sam! He'd be PERFECT!" my sister figure squealed with excitement. I, on the other hand, was still very unsure about this.

My sister figure was pointing at a blonde guy about a head taller than me. He looked normal enough; I didn't see what made her think that he'd be a perfect match for me.

"What do I do?" I whispered, not having a clue how to approach him without looking like an idiot. The sane part of my brain kept asking me, _Why am I doing this?_ I kept answering it, _No clue._

With no warning, Prim shoved me into him from behind, nearly knocking him (and me) down on the sidewalk. He stumbled a bit while I nearly faceplant into the ground from the force.

"Oh...hi," he said, surprised as he caught me and helped me regain my balance. "Are you alright?"

I wanted to die from embarrassment then and there. "Yes," I stuttered out, probably blushing like crazy. "I'm sorry."

"It's OK." He didn't sound angry or upset even though I thought he would be. Despite that, I couldn't bring myself to look in his eyes. "What's your name?"

"Samantha. What's yours?" Man, I wanted to crawl into a hole and die from pure embarrassment. He probably thought I was a clumsy freak by then.

"Don, but my friends call me Hakase," he responded.

"Nice to meet you, Hakase," I said softly, giving a small and nervous smile. He smiled back. "You seem...nervous," he said a little slowly like he was trying to find the right words.

My face felt hotter than ever. "I'm just not normally in this kind of situation. I learned in school to keep my head down and not draw attention to myself to avoid being picked on. I…haven't made many friends because I never really fit in, so I get nervous meeting new people," I explained shyly.

"That sounds a lot like me," Hakase admitted, "but you seem like a good person."

I looked him in the eyes for the first time. "Really? You do, too."

He looked at me straight in the eye. Direct eye contact within the first five minutes? I must've been doing really good. "I try to be."

We started walking side-by-side down the sidewalk, and I felt something stir inside me. I was starting to have a crush on Hakase.

Damn it. Why me?

* * *

_Prim's Point of View_

I can't help but smirk at my younger sister and giggle lightly to myself. She has a lot to learn about flirting, but it's working for the blonde, so she'd be occupied for a while, at least. Turning on my heel, I headed down the street, deciding to try and find some guy to flirt with. Sam will NOT be the only one out of us two with a boyfriend, damn it!

At first, I wondered if I just ran into a wall or lightpole. Then I realized what I'd just hit was a chest.

A VERY solid chest.

"Hey!" I complained with a glare, looking up to see the guy from earlier, even though he wasn't that much taller than me. "Watch where you're walking, buddy!"

"Why don't you watch where YOU'RE going, pipsqueak?" he smirked, and I scowled.

"What are you doing here?"

"What are YOU doing here?" he countered, his smirk only growing larger, as does my temper.

"I know how to read," I snipped, and as he rolled his eyes, continuing to smirk that smirk of his.

I began trying to push him out of my way. "Cocky, are you? Move it!"

"Why don't you?" he chuckled shortly, looking amused at my failed attempt of getting him out of my way as he pushed me out his way with almost no effort, it seemed.

Now I was furious, "Did you serious just do that? You seriously just did that!"

Glaring deeply as he chuckled, I balled my hand into a fist and punched him as hard as I could in his stomach. Instantly, he put his hand in his pocket as a warning, and I did the same. I had a feeling deep in my gut that he's feeling something that can be used as a weapon, but that didn't really scare me as I gripped my Ranger Key.

And simply because we're in public and I was not about to blow my secret indentity to everyone, I snarled, "Let's take this elsewhere."

* * *

_Samantha's Point of View_

I was really enjoying spending time with Hakase. He and I were so much alike that I was beginning to question if we were distant cousins or something.

As always in life, though, good things never last.

My Mobirate alarm decided then was a perfect moment to start going wild. My first thought was, _Oh, shit. Not now..._

Not wanting to expose my secret identity to him, I kept it in my pocket for the time being and said as quickly as I could, "I have to go, Hakase. I'm really sorry." I then ran toward the woods, the quickest way to Prim's house from the park. To my surprise, he follows.

"It could be dangerous," I confessed. He, however, said, "I'm used to it."

_Okay? _I asked myself, confused. No ordinary person would say that if they were told something may be dangerous. I let him follow me all the way to our training area where we were met by a sight that stopped us in our tracks.


	4. Who We Never Knew Existed

Author Note: Hey, thanks for all who have reviewed, but don't just give me credit. The areas written in Prim's point of view were written by Innocent Primrose Everdeen. (That was probably a little obvious, but oh, well.) Please remember that this wasn't just me who wrote this.

Enjoy!

* * *

Prim was morphed into Gokai Gold, but who she was fighting confused me.

My older sister figure was fighting a second Gokaiger. Gokai Red, to be exact.

I was partly in shock. Since when were there other Gokaigers? I'd always thought Prim and I were the only ones.

Not anymore, apparently.

Gokai Red and Prim were in a heated battle, which had probably been what set off the alarm. There was no clear winner at the moment, but I knew from previous experience that everything could change in an instant.

It did. Prim, who'd been held back from fighting to her full potential because of her gun, managed to knock her opponent's sword out of reach and snatch it up. After putting the gun back in its holder, she kicked him in the stomach and put the tip of her sword to his throat.

My only thought was, _Please don't bring it any closer. I really don't need to see that._

Instead of slitting his throat, she said, "Give up?"

I learned then that he was no quitter. His punch sent her stumbling backward but not enough to knock her down.

I'm not exactly sure what made me do it, but I morphed as quickly as I could and ran in to break up the fight. I didn't want two members of the same team killing each other even if they didn't know each other. This brought confidence that I normally couldn't muster.

"Break it up, guys!" I commanded.

Prim pushes me out of the way a little. "This isn't your fault. Nice confidence, by the way."

I wasn't backing away so readily this time. "Fighting isn't going to get you anywhere. It may work against the Zangyack but not against each other."

They were silent for one second, then two. I was starting to wonder if I'd said something wrong until Prim spoke up.

"Well, we ARE both Gokaigers," she finally said. All three of us demorph, and I recognize Gokai Red. He was the person we'd literally ran into earlier that day.

Neither of them took their eyes off each other, expressions still stone cold. Deciding to let them deal with it amongst themselves, I walked back to Hakase.

Oh, great. Now I've spilled my secret to two people I didn't even know that well. This was not good..._at all._

"Sorry about that," I said apologetically. I really didn't mean for that to happen. Hakase didn't look too weirded out, though.

He shrugged. "It's OK. I'm used to it."

That was one thing I was going to ask him about later. Any other person that I knew wouldn't be so calm about this.

"So...you're a Gokaiger?" he asked.

I knew trying to hide it was no use, so I nodded, saying, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. I haven't told anyone other than my best friend, Prim, before." I paused for a second or two. "She's a Gokaiger, too. She's Gokai Gold."

"It's alright," he assured me. "I'm a Gokaiger as well." Hakase took out a Ranger Key from his pocket.

I understood then why Hakase was so used to these kinds of things. He was Gokai Green.

I slowly took out my Key, almost identical to his. The only difference was the color since mine was orange. "How'd you get yours?"

"I was forced," he admitted, "you know...to join. What about you?"

I started to have a flashback as I told Hakase my story. "Prim and I knew a man called AkaRed on Earth. He helped us fight protected us during the Legendary War. He went out into the universe shortly after to find the Ranger Keys and gave us ours before he left. I think that he wanted Earth to have protection even after the Super Sentai lost their powers. In return, we swore to protect Earth. He never came back."

Hakase looked pretty impressed. He also had an expression that said that he knew what happened but didn't want to upset me. "Um...he..."

I braced myself for the answer that I knew would come. "I've suspected that he's dead for a while. If he is, you can tell me."

He nodded silently. I wasn't too surprised since he'd been away for almost a year now, but it still hurt. I'd been very close to AkaRed when I was in my early teens. I looked at my beat-up tennis shoes as if they were suddenly very interesting, trying to hide the tears coming.

Hakase did what I least expected from a person who I'd only known for about half an hour. He gave me an understanding hug, letting me cry. It was like he knew what it was like to lose someone who he was close to.

I knew what it was like from previous experience. This was nothing compared to...

I diverted my thoughts from that night. I couldn't afford to make the pain worse.

We stood there like that for a while. It seemed as if I lost sense of time just being in Hakase's arms.

Was I really falling for him? Part of me wanted to confess my feelings, but the other half of me was scared to death that he wouldn't feel the same way about me. Telling Hakase about my crush on him now would be rather awkward, wouldn't it?

After maybe five or ten minutes, I calmed down and started to relax. Hakase let me go, seeming to sense that I'd recovered enough to feel comfortable talking. "Feel better?" he asked. I nodded, putting it out of my mind. I would allow myself to dwell on it later when I was supposed to be asleep.

"That's good." He and I watched the sun set. _Beautiful sunset_, I thought to myself. _Why can't my life be like that?_

Sunset. _"You need to be home by sunset. It's dangerous at night. You should know that."_

I checked the time to make sure it wasn't just a trick my mind was playing on me. It was about 8:00. Damn, where'd the time gone?

"I need to get home. My parents might be worried," I said quickly. I didn't want to leave so suddenly, but I would be in trouble with my mom if I didn't. Big trouble. I was already pondering whether to use my usual excuse of "We lost track of the time" or not.

"I'll go with you," he volunteered. I thought that was sweet of him and smiled, letting him take my hand. We ran as fast as we could at the edge of the woods, and I felt free. I always felt like that when I ran in the woods, like there was a wild spirit in me finally breaking loose of its bonds.

I slowed to a stop as we got closer to my house, preparing to get chewed out. I turned to Hakase, saying, "I hope we get to see each other again." I really hoped we would, but I fought down the side of me that wanted to confess.

He again held me close in a hug, and this time I returned the embrace. When we broke apart, I hurried inside and explained breathlessly, "I'm so sorry, Mom! We lost track of the time." I dashed up the stairs to my room, just managing to aviod the lecture my very overly defensive mother most likely had in store for me.

I looked out the window and watched Hakase walking away. Exhaustion finally sank in, and I collapsed on my bed. So much had happened today.

Suddenly, my mind started wandering toward my worst memory. I didn't know why it decided to go there. Maybe just an effect of what had happened.

Oh, great. I had to stop thinking about that night or I'd go insane. It nearly drove me to the breaking point once. I didn't need a repeat of that.

I knew that I needed some sleep, but my brain wouldn't shut off. First off, I was still buzzing from the feeling of having a first crush. Second, I was trying to figure out where the courage had come from when I stopped Prim and Gokai Red from killing each other. When in public, I was the quiet, play-by-the-rules girl. In battle, I was a completely different person: courageous and ready for anything.

I really needed to calm my nerves if I was going to get any sleep at all. Reaching into my pocket, I knew that just having my Ranger Key out would help me relax and eventually get to sleep.

Then I realized something was missing.

* * *

_Prim's Point of View_

"So, where did you get the key?" The guy's question almost surprised me, but then I remembered we were both morphed in the fight.

I'm not sure why I did it; I knew just as well as Sam did it's risky to show people that. But before I knew it, we were both in Gokaiger suits and trying to kill each other.

I'm used to fighting. I'm not used to fighting someone with THAT kind of skill.

"What's it you?" I asked easily, crossing my arms over my chest as I leaned against a tree, acting like my heart wasn't beating a little faster.

Hell, I knew I was screwed.

"Seriously." For once, he wasn't smirking, but I found a little out of place for some reason. I didn't know he had another mode from that seemingly cocky, sarcastic, brash act.

"I knew a guy named AkaRed." I struggled a little to keep the fear and emotions that come with his legacy as I talk. "He was on Earth, you know. Yeah, I mean...he saved Sam and I once, so we owed him one or two...well, at least I did. But he headed off after the Legendary War...and I guess- well, he never came back."

Much to my unamusement, my voice cracked at the end. I was close to the old dude, even though our first meeting was a little violent.

Eh, who was I kidding? It was VERY violent.

But I was still close to the guy, and I'd had a feeling something was wrong ever since he left us with the two Ranger Keys he'd been training us with. I'd seen the guy's face darken, and the full reality hit me without him saying anything.

"He's dead, isn't he?"

When the guy nodded, I couldn't help but to close my eyes and clench my fists.

I needed to punch something. I needed to scream. I needed to burst into flames and die.

Damn it, I was going to cry.

Much to my surprise, the dude who I'd assumed was my rival pulled me into his chest with one arm easily. His chest was solid, and yet somehow warm, even though it felt like a rock. Closing my eyes a little, I sighed shakily and let him hold me. We stood there for a while, two potiental mortal rivals, hugging each other. By the mistiness in his own eyes, I had a feeling he knew AkaRed somehow too.

Serious bummer.

But at least I knew he understood.

My eyelids got heavy as we stood there, oddly enough. Usually I had to sob it out before I got this exhausted, but I couldn't seem to keep my eyes open.

So, like an idiot, I fell asleep.

When I woke up, I bolted straight up, promptly falling off of something warm. Rolling back, I was about to start fighting when I realized it was the guy from earlier. He smirked lightly, taking me wrist and pulling me right back down. I then was fully aware of how hard that chest was; no wonder I thought it was a wall when I ran into it.

"Sorry..." If that wasn't as embarrassing as showing up to school in your underwear, I'm not sure what was. (Even though I've never done that, mind you.)

"It's fine. Just go back to sleep, pipsqueak." He smirked wider, and I gave his arm a playful punch.

"I'm not a pipsqueak!" I protested with a small pout, and he laughed a little.

Just as I was about to punch him again, my Mobirate buzzd. Flipping it open, I listened to Sam's somewhat frantic voice for a minute before nodding slowly.

"I'll be there in a few. We'll find it, okay?" When I hung up, I was about to run to her place before glancing back. "You going to come with me?"

"Yep." He stood up. "I guess. By the way, what's your name, pip?"

"Prim." I stuck out my tongue maturely through a smirk. "And you?"

He looked pretty darn cocky by then. "Captain Marvelous."

"Well then, Captain." I rolled my eyes, grabbing his wrist and starting to pull him off best I can (that dude must eat a lot). I smirked to myself, saying, "Let's see how fast you run."


	5. Our Fearful and Restless Night

Author Note: Hello yet again. I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while. Scratch that. I mean a month and a half. I might need to work on that.

Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

**_Samantha's Point of View_**

I hung up, receiving little comfort from the fact that Prim was on her way. I kept thinking, _What if we _can't_ find it?_ Panic was trying to take me over as it normally did when situations got bad. I didn't think it could get much worse than me getting careless and loosing my Ranger Key, which I had.

It was essential to keep my composure, though. If there was one thing I'd learned from AkaRed, it was how important it is to stay calm in these kinds of situations. Panicking would just make things ten times worse.

Unfortunately, I got the panicking instinct from my mom. Keeping it under control was harder now than it used to be.

Taking a deep breath to calm my nerves, I opened the window and slid out, dropping from my room's window on the second floor. It was easy; I've jumped from trees at least twice that height when I was growing up. Like some other things, honestly, it was almost second nature by now.

All I had to do now was wait for Prim to show up. Knowing her, it wouldn't take long.

* * *

**_Prim's Point of View_**

When I arrived at Sam's house with Marvelous in tow (or, rather, he decided to come just for reasons unknown), the first thing I asked her was, "Where do you remember having it last?"

"It was when I was showing it to Hakase and he was showing me his. I may have dropped it or something!" She was sounding panicked, but the rigidness in her body told me she was desperately trying to not show how much she was freaking out on the inside.

She was failing.

Epicly.

"Then let's check with him," I suggested. "Marvelous, where do you and your crew stay?"

"On our ship," he replied smartly, making me roll my eyes. Pirates staying on a pirate ship...how predictable.

"Can you guys check? I'm not really supposed to be out here, and you know how my parents are." When she asked this and I nodded, relief flooded across her face. "Thank you; both of you!"

"Eh." I shrugged as I gave her a quick hug. "No big deal. We'll get it back for you. You don't have to worry about that."

And with that, I spun on my heel, keeping stride with Marvelous as he headed to his ship. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sam climbing up the side of the wall of her home again, keeping off of her parents' radar, no doubt. It wasn't the first time we'd hung out together past her curfew, anyway; we'd usually go bowling or go to park so I could flirt and she could read.

* * *

_**Samantha's Point of View**_

I honestly didn't know what to do now. Once I got into my room again, I knew trying to go to sleep was not an option; I was too awake and alert by now for that, so I settled on alternately pacing my room and sitting on the edge of my bed, trying desperately to calm my nerves. I couldn't stay still for long before I was up and moving again.

What I really longed to do was run in the woods and be in the fresh air. No matter the situation, being outdoors always calmed me down considerably.

But I was pushing my luck already by staying awake this late. If my mom found out, I was screwed.

* * *

_**Prim's ****Point of View**_

"That," I found myself commented as I stared up, "is a freaking big ship. Do we just climb the ropes?"

"Hai," he replied. Then added on with a smirk as he begun the journey up, "You're not afraid of heights, are ya?"

I glared after him. In all truth and honesty, I was, but I'd sooner DIE than admit that. I started after him, trying to ignore the rocking off the ropes that's ever-present as I tried to focus my mind.

...Good grief, why was I LOOKING DOWN?!

Marvelous, of course, reached the top before I did and took that golden chance to tease me. "What's so interesting about the ground?"

Scowling up at him as I tried to keep my attention on him and not the fact that the ground was becoming farther and farther away from my dangling feet, I found myself fighting the feeling of sickness creeping over me. I was so absorbed in trying not to pass out I didn't realize he had rejoined me on the spot about halfway up the ropes until he was talking.

"You're really afraid of heights...are you?"

"Like hell I am," I replied, lying through my teeth as my pride desperately tried to hide the truth.

More than likely in order to speed up the process of me actually getting on the ship, he wrapped an arm around my waist, all but flinging me over one of his broad, steel shoulders as he started to make his way back up. He wasn't even using both hands: One was holding me in place as I started to try to fight him, and the other was climbing, his knees keeping him perfectly balanced as he still managed to make good time.

"Put me down, put me down!" I squealed in protest, the ground seeming to vibrate far below as we went higher and higher, into the clouds and stars.

"Nope." Even though I wasn't facing him at that time, I knew he was smirking as we finally reached the top. A solid surface under my feet instantly relaxed me as I caught my breath silently, looking to him half bitterly and half thankfully.

"Pervert." I couldn't help but start to pout.

"So are you _sure_ you're not afraid of heights?" He raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms over his chest, his eyes telling me he knew already. "And stop pouting."

Then I crossed my arms over _my_ chest. "Yes, I am."

"You're telling the truth?" he inquired, smirking a little wider as I glared daggers at him, wishing for him to stop his prodding before I cracked.

"Yes." My tone was sharp, but my eyes were suddenly on my feet, as if they could have actually given me some kind of way to get past him and his pressing, prodding, and pressuring.

"Really?" His tone was a clear indication he didn't believe me, and I stomped my foot like a little kid.

"Yes!" I turned away from him now, glaring across the night sky as he finally decided to drop it, even though I was positive that would not be the least I heard of that.

"Well, let's get the key back." I pushed past him instantly, rushing into the cabin and looking for the Hakase dude. A guy with a ponytail was doing push-ups, a girl in a dress was making tea, and a girl in yellow was playing cards with a dude in silver.

My first conclusion: I had entered a freak show; please get me out of here. Marvelous was crazy if this was his crew.

My first action: "Hakase!"

He came out of the kitchen, looking alarmed, "Huh? You're...you're that girl from earlier!"

"No dip, Sherlock." I rolled my eyes in response. "Have you seen Sam's key?"

"Oh!" His face flushes a little as he reached into his pocket, pulling it out. "I must have accidentally walked off with it earlier. I'm sorry."

"It's fine. Thanks." I punched him a little in the shoulder playfully, making him cover the spot with a little wince as I took her key back. "She'll see you tomorrow."

I jogged back to the ropes, Sam's key pocketed in my jeans as I peered over the edge. That was certainly a _long_way down, and I got the horrible feelng I was about to be prodded again by the captain.

"What's the problem? Let's go." He started down easily, and my knees instantly locked and I froze, despite my mind's loud protests against it.

Taking a deep breathe, I breathed out just as he paused his descent, "No."

Tears were stinging my eyes, of shame and fear as he climbed back up. "Admit it; you're scared of heights."

"I didn't say that..." My voice quivered as I let my bangs cover my eyes, my sholders locked as my mind gave up on trying to give me the guts it would take for me to go down on my own.

"Come on. Admit it." And once again, he was implying with his body language we were going nowhere until I admitted my pretty obvious phobia.

I opened my mouth to protest again, but what comes out is a choked, strangled, small sob. "Yes I am, okay?! Are you happy...because...I am not going down!"

My bangs were plastered to my face as I flung mysef into his rock chest, more out of instict than anything else. He hooked his arm around my waist again, lifting me into his iron, yet gentle/comforting grip. "It's alright. I've got you."

Without saying it, he'd told me he was not going to drop me, but I was still rigid as I wrapped my arms around his neck slwwly, cautiously. He began to climb down again, half sliding as he inched his way toward the ground. The closer we came, the tension relaxed in my body, making the pressure in my gut ease and the embarrassment creep its way to my face.

"Do you need some time to calm down or something?" he inquired as he touched down, and I nodded, taking deep breaths and trembling for a couple of minutes. "...Samantha may want her key back sometime tonight."

"Well, duh." Now that my breath was truly caught, I could wipe the fear off of my face like I usually did as I turned on my heel. "Let's go!"


	6. Love and Relaxation

Author Note: Thank you to all who reviewed, and a special thank you to Innocent Primrose Everdeen for doing Prim's point of view! I couldn't have done this much without all of your support. I will definitely continue.

Enjoy!

* * *

**_Prim's Point of View_**

Once we reached Sam's house and I threw a rock at her window, she called down from the window, "Did you get it?"

"Yep." I nodded, tossing it up as she caught it easily, even from the top of her two-story house. "You can pay me back later."

Somehow, she noticed I've been crying from the distance, much to my displeasure. "What happened?"

I pictured the pirate ship in the sky and my emotional outburst again. Scowling, I shook my head in lie and replied, "It's whatever. I'm going back..." And I ran yet again into a solid chest. "_Dude_! Watch where you are _standing_!"

"Thank you, Prim!" Sam called behind me after she laughed shortly at my comment.

* * *

**_Samantha's Point of View_**

I closed the window as silently as possible, breathing a sigh of relief. Just having my key back calmed me down considerably. The worry that had built up in my chest seemed to dissolve.

It didn't make me any more tired, though. I was still awake and alert as I was an hour ago when I first realized my key was missing.

I lay down, hoping to get to sleep by staying still would convince my brain to shut down for the night.

No such luck.

* * *

**_Prim's Point of View_**

Looking back to assure myself she'd closed her window and had gone back to bed, I quickly allowed myself to nestle into his chest again. Somehow, it brought comfort and security that usually wasn't there, somewhere in my chest next to my heart. Even so, the silent comfort of his presense was also filled with doubt and the feeling of being exposed.

"Sorry...I'm not trying to be weak..." I said up the captain, surprised that he wasn't smirking at me.

"You're not weak," he told me in a serious firm tone. "You're one of the strongest fighters I've ever met."

I looked to him with wide eyes that were both confused and flattered, "Marvelous..."

And there was the smirk, even though it was a little more serene right then. "You remember that, okay?"

"I will," I agreed, and his smirk actually became a legitimate smile for once as he patted my head gently.

"We should be getting back sometime tonight," he commented, and I suddenly mimicked his smirk, deciding to see if the slight affection he was showing for me was real.

What? I'd dated a lot of dudes; I knew when they were falling for me.

"Carry me." I held my ams, still smirking, and he rolled hs eyes as he does, carrying me bridal style as I chilled in his grip. "You're strong."

"I know." His smirk had returned then, and we traveled in silence against night, finally coming to my house (under my few directions) where the car was absent, just like my parents, as usual.

He actually carried me into my room and set me on the bed, smirking as I raised an eyebrow. "Well, goodnight, pipsqueak."

"Wait." I paused him with my voice. "I want you to stay."

I couldn't really explain the feeling that came over me, even though I totally could. With his handsome face and his cocky, cool persona, there was no doubt the warm feeling spreading in my chest was the first stages of falling in love. I should know; I'd had this feeling settle over me about three times before. I was almost used to it, but the three times I'd started feeling attracted to a guy deeply, it always excited me and made me want them to stay with me forever and always.

"We'll see each other soon." My heart sank a little, and I returned the pout to my face.

"But..." I whined out to him, crossing my arms like a little kid.

"Just go to sleep," he replied to that, and I wrinkled my nose is distaste. If there was one thing this guy needed to learn, it was that I do _not_ go down without a fight.

Like, ever.

* * *

**_Samantha's Point of View_**

It was about one in the morning when I decided to shatter the rules of the house further than I already was by staying up this late. I was going to take some time in the woods for target practice.

I also knew that if my mom found out, I was going to be in some scalding hot water.

But the pros outweighed the cons by quite a bit even if I did get grounded for the rest of my life.

Sliding out of my window barefoot but still fully dressed (and with my Mobirate and Ranger Key in my pocket), I headed out to a spot maybe a mile and a half from my house. It was quiet and had several convenient targets carved into the trees, so it was the perfect spot for late night shooting.

I went into a different state of mind as I started shooting, as if I was watching myself do it in a parallel universe. I seemed to be somewhere a thousand light years away even though I could feel myself shooting the gun.

A voice brings me back to Earth with a shock. "Hey, Samantha."

I automatically turned toward the speaker with my gun raised. Seeing Hakase, I stopped myself from pulling the trigger. "Oh. Hi, Hakase." Lowering my gun, I blushed slightly, embarassed to have almost shot my first crush and fellow teammate.

He didn't bring that up, though. Instead, he asked, "What're you doing out here so late?"

I answered, "I couldn't sleep. Target practice usually helps me wind down." He and I looked at the target I'd been shooting at, and I noticed a small hole in the tree trunk where the bull's eye of that target had been ten or fifteen minutes earlier. All of my shots had hit dead center.

"You're really good," Hakase commented, making my face feel a little warm. I could tell from his expression that he was genuinely impressed.

"Thanks. I absolutely suck with a sword though." I didn't know why I said it. Maybe it was one of those moments where I didn't think before I spoke.

He blushed as he said, "So do I."

"Prim's amazing with a sword, though," I said with slight envy in my voice. "She can even handle two swords at once."

Hakase seemed to understand my jealousy and responded, "Yeah. Joe and Luka are the same way." I didn't know who Joe and Luka were, but I guessed that they were teammates of his.

If that was true, I had to wonder just how many other Gokaigers there were. I decided it would be better not to ask; I wasn't sure if I did want to know.

We were silent for a couple of minutes before we changed the subject. I don't remember how long we talked before I noticed the horizon was becoming a reddish-pink color. The sun was rising.

I quickly explained, "I need to get home before my parents find that I'm gone." He nodded, and I started running toward my house. I only turned around long enough to wave at him and make sure that my key and Mobirate were safely in my pocket.

Luckily, I made it home and into my room before my mom woke up. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was asleep.

A trumpet fanfare blasted in my ear shocked me awake about an hour and a half later.


	7. Nearly Frozen

Author Note: Sorry it took so long to update. If there is anything I need to work on, please let me know, and I'll gladly go back and edit it.

Enjoy!

* * *

_**Samantha's Point of View**_

I shot up like a bullet after nearly dying of cardiac arrest (figuratively, of course) and glared at the perpetrator. It was my younger brother, Collin Austin. He had his prized trumpet in one hand and was laughing as hard as he could.

"It's not funny!" I complained as I swung myself out of bed. My brother ducked out of the room before I could punch him in the face, which he knew I was both willing and able to do.

After making myself look somewhat decent by brushing my hair and washing my face, I ran downstairs where my mom was making waffles. _Of course_, I thought. _It's her day off from work._

"Waffles are ready!" my mom said as I forced my feet into socks and tennis shoes as fast as humanly possible. I, however, didn't have much of an appetite and replied, "I have to go, Mom. Prim needs me over at her place as soon as possible."

That last part was a lie, but I seriously wanted to get out of that house as soon as possible. I didn't need her hanging over me all day.

I made sure my cell phone, Mobirate, and Ranger Key were in their respective pockets before hurrying out the back door.

Prim met me about halfway between my house and hers. "Hey, Sam."

I was still recovering from Collin blasting me awake, but I managed a rather normal, "Hey, Prim!"

"How'd you sleep? Did you see Hakase?" She said the last part in a teasing tone, and I had to roll my eyes.

However, the truth was probably extremely obvious, so I said it anyway. "I couldn't get to sleep, so I went to do target practice. Hakase found me there. Did Marvelous take you home last night?"

Now it was her turn to blush. "Yes," she said.

I smirked a little at her. "How was it?" I knew very well that she, unlike me, wasn't afraid of falling in love and that she might be falling in love again.

"It was fine." She seemed to blush even redder than she was before. "How was Hakase?"

I responded, "He was fine." I was still fighting the beginning of the undeniable crush I had on him, and I was determined to win the fight even though I had the feeling that wasn't going to end anytime soon.

The look on her face changed from a smirk to a look of concern. "Hey, let's go visit them."

I didn't know what to think about that. I asked, "Are you sure about that?" She didn't need to answer; her expression _was_ an answer. "Yes, you're sure."

Prim nodded and led me to their ship...which looked so familiar that I completely froze for a microsecond.

It was _AkaRed's ship_.

My older sister figure seemed so intent on whatever she was thinking about doing that she even went up the ropes without going into a panic attack. I was taken by surprised. "How did you just do that?" I asked in shock.

She shrugged and answered, "I just did. Let's go." As we went into the main room, I froze again out of fear. Other than Hakase, there were four other people in the room who I didn't know, and it made me uneasy. Was I supposed to be here? I tried to hide it, but I had a phobia of strangers that was sometimes almost overwhelming. Now was a prime example of that fear.

Prim didn't seem to have a problem with it. She walked right up to Hakase, who was working at the computer, and said, "Hi, Hakase. Where's Marvelous?"

He looked a bit surprised to see us there but replied, "In the crow's nest. Why?" He had a small expression of concern, and I could see between the two of them that they both thought that something was up with Marvelous.

"Just checking." I knew that she wasn't exactly telling the truth as she headed up to the crow's nest.

That left me with no clue what to do.

* * *

_**Prim's Point of View**_

Sure enough, he was standing there, gazing out at the horizon. His arms were crossed over his chest, and the tight lines along his jaw and the tensity in his shoulders indicated something was weighing heavily on his mind. "Hey Marvey-chan."

"Hey, pipsqueak," he said, not taking his gaze from the horizon.

Rolling my eyes a little at the nickname, I went to stand behind him, folding my arms over my own chest. "So, what's eating at you? And don't you dare say, 'Nothing.'"

He was silent for a minute as if debating on how to put it. In encouragement, I wrapped one arm around his shoulders (tight enough for him not to try and shake me, mind you) and laid my head on his shoulder. He took a deep breath like he just figured out the words. Works every time.

"It's how I promised Basco wouldn't ever hurt you," he admitted. "It bothering me because even if I try to protect you, I'm not always with you."

That made me replace my faint smirk with a smile. "Well, I appreciate that, but I'm a Gokaiger too. I can take care of myself. If Basco tries to hurt me, I'll kick his ass."

That set some but not all of the tensity in his eyes at ease. This guy really cared about those he approves of, apparently. Well, so do I, so in response, I just pressed myself closer to him.

What can I say? I'm a cuddle bug.

"I just don't want you getting hurt." He wrapped his arm around me in response.

"I'm going to have to sometimes, you know. I'm a Gokaiger, and I get into fights with empty rooms. It's nothing new for me." I shrugged but smiled up at him. "Don't worry about me."

He relaxed more as he gave me a legitimate smile by looking down. "I see. So I was right about you being strong."

That made me giggle a little. "I try."

* * *

**_Samantha's Point of__ View_**

By this point, I was resisting the urge to try and escape. Prim had gone up to the crow's nest to talk to someone she was trying to kill the day before, and I was in a rather familiar room with four unfamiliar people and one that I'd known for less than 24 hours.

Damn, my life was interesting in more ways than one.

"I wonder what's up with Marvelous," I said a little cautiously to Hakase. "Do you have any idea?" My hope was that having a normal conversation with a somewhat familiar person would calm my nerves slightly.

Besides, I had nothing better to do with my life at that moment.

Hakase turned to face me and replied, "I'd imagine it's Prim. He's rather protective over his friends."

I nodded in understanding. "That sounds like Prim. She's kind of protective of me."

He chuckled a little. "Those two just might get along." I had to smile at that. Remembering their duel from the day before, I admitted, "I know they'll get along. Even if they were fighting to the death yesterday."

That made us both smile at the memory. Hakase filled the silence by saying, "That's what makes them loveable." He paused for about half a second before adding almost tentatively, "Maybe this means we'll get along."

I nodded. "We will. I can tell already." We really did have a lot in common. If I started a list, it would probably at least reach from here to Timbuktu easily.

The two of us held each other's gaze for a couple seconds until the Galleon's alarm went off as well as the one on my Mobirate. _I'd almost forgotten what that alarm sounded like,_ I thought. _It's been at least a year._

Despite that realization, I lost no time climbing up to the crow's nest to tell Prim what was going on. She seemed to know already and nodded, signaling she was ready when I was.

For the first time, we joined the other six Gokaigers in battle.


End file.
